Iron Petals
by Monkey D. Rio
Summary: Post Thriller Bark; There are repressed feelings between certain straw hats on board the Sunny. Franky has started to have feelings for Robin, and her for him. Both are too afraid to show the other, thinking it one sided they try to ignore it. Yet after another fledgling romance is shown to the crew both try to help the opposite sides, could this help them in their own predicament?
1. Franky's SUPER big mouth

**Iron petals ****- part 1**

Thriller Bark had only recently been left behind by the Straw Hat Pirates, their ship, the Thousand Sunny, had been at sea for just under two weeks and Franky was working on a new set of designs for the next generation of battle Frankie's. His glasses were glaring in the sun as he worked, trying to think of how you could calibrate a cannon bigger than a house, without it blowing up, _again_.

The rest of the crew were casually doing what the straw hats do, relaxing. Ussop was tinkering, Chopper mixing medicines, Nami was drawing maps, Sanji was cooking, Brook fishing and Zoro was sleeping. As for the captain, well Franky didn't actually know where Luffy was, probably bugging Sanji for food.

Franky carried on working, not bothering to wonder about where the other crew member was, he would only get distracted from his work. That and he was still angry at Nico Robin for calling him an embarrassment back on Thriller Bark when he attempted his 'docking'. "That was definitely not SUPER" he mumbled to himself grudgingly.

Dammit he'd started thinking about her again.

"She definitely is SUPER though" he laughed. The woman was definitely a catch he thought carrying on with his plans, being still young, well young enough anyway he thought, she was 28 so six years younger than the cyborg. Of course being a self-confessed pervert Franky liked any good looking woman, like Nami for example. Yet there was something about the archaeologist that just worked for him, she was definitely good looking, she was extremely intelligent, she had to be with her past he thought, and there was an exotic feel about her.

You want to watch out or you may get too obsessed he thought with a grin.

"Silly woman or silly me"? He thought out loud.

"Who's silly"? A voice came from behind him.

He jumped a mile, having not heard the woman's approach "What"? He asked abruptly.

"Who are you calling silly"? Robin asked patiently.

"Myself" The big man lied quickly, perhaps a little too quickly, she seemed not to believe him. This is strange he thought, usually the woman would stay as far away from him as she could whenever possible.

"You said silly woman first" she pointed out with a smile, calm before the storm the shipwright thought worried, "so who were you talking about"?

"Kiwi" Franky said "and Mozu" he added, after having composed himself a little.

"Why silly"? The woman smirked, trying to catch him out.

"They always wear their hair funny and had to walk sideways in the wind" he laughed then, only somewhat forced "they have no idea about what practicality is when it comes to style", he was quite impressed with himself for thinking so fast on his feet.

"Fair enough" Robin sighed turning around, she'd lost the chance to catch the man out. She started back towards the door.

"Not like you" Franky carried on, not realising he had said it aloud "not as nice either".

"Thank you Mr Shipwright" she smiled at him.

Franky had gone completely red, matching his shirt, "did I say that out loud just now"? He asked her.

"Yes" she confirmed "and so I said thank you".

"No problem girly" Franky quickly replied falling back on his pervert persona to cover his mistake, and calling her his pet name for Nami "You look SUPER", he laughed, posing.

"Ok then" The woman smiled and walked out slowly.

"Dammit that was way too close" he sighed. "I really need to stop and think before I open my mouth, now she's gonna think I'm hitting on her, and think I'm not SUPER". The thought had crossed his mind beforehand but he had thought she would just take everything he did as a personal insult. He looked at his plans and diagrams he had been working on beforehand and started putting them away, his mind was too far gone now to focus so he thought he might go find Chopper "The little Tanuki might be able to help me take my mind off this, maybe he could give me a tranquilizer" he smirked.

He heard Robin laugh from the deck outside, looking towards the door he didn't notice the petals behind him as the archaeologist cancelled her devil fruit ability.

"Women" he muttered, clueless.


	2. Robins musings

**Iron petals** – Part 2

Nico Robin was sitting on the shore of a deserted island that the straw hats had just landed on, just by the ship. Most of the crew had gone exploring the island, leaving Robin and Brook to guard the Sunny.

The musician had fallen asleep, or was just zoned out, Robin could not tell properly unless he started snoring, "Resting his bones" he called it.

Robin sighed, she couldn't focus on her book at all. The unexpected compliment by the cyborg had been playing on her mind for the last week. She had only gone into his workshop to apologise to him for calling his "Docking system" an embarrassment. She had seen that the older man had been made rather angry. It was not so much the fact that she had refused to complete the "manoeuvre" as much as the fact that she had mocked it.

However when she went to apologise she started to think about how the cyborg was. He wasn't the strongest on the ship by far, with all three of the 'monster trio' being above and beyond him in sheer brute force, yet he was very likely the strongest one on board besides them.

He was also probably the smartest man on the ship, in his own way. Yet he was a complete pervert, he had admitted so himself, even to the point where he seemed completely fine with running through water 7 with nothing on his more private areas, although at least he was open about it unlike Sanji who would act like a gentlemen even when mentally undressing her and Nami. Also back on his home island he was seen as a criminal yet he had created a brotherhood there for the outcasts, and the respect he gave the two women who followed him around, what where their names again? With their square hairstyles, anyway the respect he gave them, as well as the fact that he had helped them when everyone else had turned their backs on them, was, in Robin's opinion extremely surprising.

When she actually reached the workshop she walked up to the large man crouched over his work, trying to see what he was doing, when she heard him mutter "Silly woman or silly me"?

The ensuing conversation was rather awkward for her after that as she already felt guilty about upsetting him and if he was holding a grudge then she wanted him to tell her. Afterwards she thought she had sounded a lot more serious and accusing than she had meant to. She was going to leave, having thought that it would be better to apologise later, when she heard the cyborg's unthinking comment.

"Not like you" Franky smiled "not as nice either".

The fact that he had not meant to say it made the shipwright embarrassed, but the fact that the woman had thanked him rather than berate or reject him just made him more so, and Robin thought that made him seem so vulnerable and, much to her own surprise, adorable she thought.

Then he returned to his usual bragging self, posing and trying to cover his slip of the tongue, much to Robin's, surprising even herself, disappointment. She then left him alone, but not until she had bloomed an ear in a corner of the room.

She had walked back to her lounger on deck and sat down pretending to read while listening to Franky mumbling out loud, she heard him say "That was close" which confirmed her suspicions of him lying. Yet she still didn't know whether he was talking about him covering for his slip or if he had been covering up something else initially. For all she knew he had been talking about something, or someone completely different. She then heard him talking about going to Mr Doctor for a tranquiliser, now THAT made her laugh.

Back to the present she found that she was still laughing at the memory of the statement. "fufufufu" she smirked. She had been thinking a lot about the possibility that he had feelings for her that weren't just the feelings of a pervert. "What If he does"? She questioned. That could be awkward when countered with the attention she gained off of the ships overly attentive ero-cook.

Then she thought about another and equally strange possibility "Do I have feelings for him"? She wondered, fully aware she was speaking put loud.

"Ah Robin san" a new voice called. She looked up to the ships railings behind her, it was Brook looking down at her. "Who is it that you speak of"?

"None of your business, Brook-san" she stated quickly. "Just someone".

"Ah very well" he said "I just hope that it is not Sanji kun" he continued jumping down to her tea in hand, yet he never, she noticed, spilled a drop.

"No it's not" she assured him "definitely not cook-san".

"Oh thank goodness for that" the skeleton gave a sigh of relief "I was just about to try to warn you of the way he is with women, though I'm sure you already know about why he disappears every time we reach a heavily populated island".

"Yes I have noticed this myself" she confirmed.

"Good, not to badmouth him but I'm just giving friendly advice" the skeleton took a sip of tea. "This person it couldn't possibly be"? He gestured with a bony finger towards himself.

"No, sorry" she stated calmly, still smiling.

"Ok Robin san, to mend my broken heart, can I see your panties"?

"But you don't have a heart to break" she quipped

"SKULL JOKE"! The skeleton laughed "Well played Robin san, Yohohoho", and with that he jumped back aboard the ship and started to play on the swing.

"Boys" she sighed, unable to believe that a man who was nearly ninety years old could be so immature, _although he fits in perfectly with this crew_ she thought.

Later on Zoro and Sanji returned after a hunting competition, dragging several large creatures each behind them, "Robin Chwaaaaaaaan" Sanji cooed "Are you alright"? He asked "I am sorry we left you for so long with just the company of the dead".

"Hey"! Brook bellowed "Just because I don't have a heart does NOT mean that I don't have a HEART". **Skull joke**, Robin knew it was going through his head, or skull at least.

"Oi Robin"! Zoro called "Whose kills are bigger, mine or the ero-cooks"?

"Who are you calling Ero-cook"? The blonde man growled "You shitty swordsman"?

"What did you say, Baka"?

The ensuing fight was typical of the two young men. More of a pushing match between sword and foot.

* * *

A/N: I'm not usually going to be updating this often once I've gotten into writing, as I will be trying to make my chapters longer than this. This story (along with several others) is actually a few months old, but I have only just made a FFN account to post on. So the next few chapters (I have thirteen saved for this story) will probably not be much longer, while chapters after that (as I now have a bit more practice) should be quite a bit longer, and hopefully better quality.


	3. Chapter 3

**Iron Petals **– part three

"I'm going for a walk since you two are back" Robin stated, immediately leading Sanji to desert his argument with Zoro.

"Ok Robin-Chan do you want me to accompany you"? he called out.

"No", she called back, possibly a little too quickly, having remembered her previous conversation with Brook "I'll be fine".

The woman pressed on into the forest, just trying to get away from the argument but she did want some company, yet she couldn't invite Brook right after denying Sanji, and Zoro probably wouldn't have come either way.

It was not hard to follow the path of the rest of the crew, as they left a trail behind them that a blind man could follow. The trail leading her to a small clearing with remnants of Luffy, bones everywhere from his o-so-beloved meat, and dirt pitches, left by Ussop and Chopper most likely. Then she spotted that she wasn't alone, turning to see who it was she saw the aforementioned reindeer, in his heavy point, sleeping on the ground, snoring loudly, along with Ussop who looked like he had been messing with his slingshot again, tools next to him.

She left them to sleep and followed the trail of bones that undoubtedly led to Luffy. She found their captain sitting with a piece of half eaten meat on his lap.

"Captain-san" She greeted him.

"Oh Robin" Luffy smiled seeing her, quickly blushing "Is it time to go back already"? He asked.

"No" she said, curious as to why he was blushing. "Zoro and Sanji turned up back at the ship so I came for a walk".

"Oh right" He rushed "Well I'm going to go find Na" He started "Ussop and Chopper, see if they're alright, wanna come"? He asked. The captain then seemed to be mentally berating himself for inviting her.

"No I'm ok" she raised an eyebrow at her captain.

"OK" Luffy laughed, strangely quietly, in fact he hadn't shouted or even spoken up the entire time. "Bye" he ran off quickly.

Robin ducked down to where Luffy had been sitting, and was surprised by what she saw, the only other female member of their little crew, Nami. This was less surprising than the fact that she was bathing in a river, her short orange hair spread around her in the water and she was in a semi revealing pose. She laughed out loud at what she had come across, finding this turn of events hysterical.

"Robin"!? Nami shouted out "What are you doing, I thought you were supposed to have stayed by the ship"?

"Swordsman-san and Cook-san came back to the ship so I went for a walk" she continued laughing. "But more importantly I'm just glad you're wearing a swimsuit, and you should be too".

Nami lifted an eyebrow to her, similar to how Robin herself had done to Luffy just a few seconds ago.

"I only came here about five minutes ago and only noticed you just before I started laughing" she smiled at the younger woman.

"Who was it"? Nami asked calmly, but with a look of sheer rage hidden in her eyes. "I'm guessing Sanji"?

Robin smiled again "No I would have called him out if I had caught him doing it, in fact I have not long ago had a conversation with our newest member as he gave his opinion" she assured her.

"Who was it then"? The red head asked seriously.

"Mr Captain" She told her, unable to hide her smile from the navigator.

"Luffy"? Nami echoed, her voice already losing its edge and the anger had quickly left her eyes. "Oh, uh" she stuttered "LUFFY"! She shouted trying to sound as mad as she would have been had it been anyone else. "When I get my hands on him" she began to say.

"He'll be as happy as you will be" Robin finished.

"What, Robin you don't think"? The younger girl started blushing furiously, not daring to finish her sentence. "He doesn't like me like that, does he"?

"I think he does" The raven haired woman stared at the sky for a moment" "I have read the log that you have been keeping since you joined the crew" she admitted. "Think about what he has done for you, the same as me, he has put his life on the line, but for you he has done so much more".

"What makes you say that"? She asked curious.

"Well think about it like this" Robin began changing into her own bikini, certain as she was that there was no one around to see anymore. "He fought Arlong and went out of his way to save you, even taking on a fish man, without even thinking about the consequences when he knew full well he could die, despite the fact you had used him and stolen not just his money, but his ship too".

"He wanted a navigator, so he could become pirate king" Nami countered, though she didn't sound confident in her remark.

"Yes but he did so because he wanted YOU" she emphasized the last word to get the point across, and put her hand on the younger woman's shoulder. "Also he had given you his straw hat" Robin pointed out, "He never gives ANYONE that hat, the only person he would let touch it is you, he lets you have his TREASURE".

"But"…. Nami began but stopped immediately, knowing she had no idea of what to say. "How can I be certain"? she asked her friend.

"You'll have to ask him" Robin gasped, climbing into the water herself, "that's cold".

"How do I know that all of this is not just him being a pervert"? She asked.

"I don't know but Luffy isn't one to be won over by lust alone is he, maybe he was bored too" she said, it was meant in jest, but she looked serious to the navigator.

"Thanks" Nami replied dryly.

"Besides" Robin continued, "I think I have the biggest self-confessed pervert on board after me".

"Sanji wants us both remember"? The two laughed.

"He doesn't confess to being a pervert though" Robin reminded her.

"Wait" Nami clicked it seems "You don't mean Franky, do you"?

"I think so" Robin smiled, blushing herself now, at least she had someone to confide in with the navigator.

"Do you like him"? Nami pushed, gladly going on the offensive.

"I think so" Robin confided "but I'm not sure if he would be a reliable boyfriend".

"Well there's only one way you're going to find out" Nami smiled at the older woman, "and that's to try".

"True" Robin laughed. She needed to take her own advice it seems.


	4. Man talk?

**A/N **Feeling like a bit of a twit right now, sorry about the wait, I've been ill for a while now, stopping me from doing much writing, and on top of that I didn't realise that I wasn't adding the chapters I had done properly. Sooooo...yeah, I'm a noob.

Anyhoo, I've also not been adding a disclaimer and REALLY dont wanna get sued so... I don't own One Piece, that honour goes to Echiro Oda, not me.

* * *

**Iron Petals **– Part four.

Luffy ran through the forest as fast as he could, resisting the urge to scream his lungs out, yet making no less noise by crashing through the tree's the entire time, up until he ran into something harder than a tree. The shipwright turned around quickly to see what had hit him. "Atatatatat" he groaned rubbing at his now aching back "watch where you're going straw hat".

"Frannnkyyyy"! Luffy cried out grabbing the older man, who was more surprised to see the captain as scared as he was as he had been to have been hit by something that felt like a whale in his unarmoured back.

"Oi, oi, oi" Franky called to him "What's the matter with you, you look like you've seen the dead rise"? Realising too late the irony of the statement, considering their newest nakama.

"Nami's gonna hate me" he blubbered in response.

"What you done this time"? the cyborg asked with a smirk, it was a false smile in attempt to console the other man but in hindsight it was actually a regular occurrence she hit him for something, "stolen one of her mikans again"? He asked. Nami's treasures were those tree's and their fruits, well that and real treasure, and again this was a common occurrence on the ship. "She might not find out you know"?

Luffy came out with something then that hardly sounded human at all, more like the wailings of a cat being swung around by the tail.

"Calm down" he said seriously "I can't understand any of what you're saying".

Luffy sniffed loudly and took a deep breath "I was looking at Nami when she was bathing and Robin caught me" He blurted quickly.

Franky let that process through his head for a few seconds and then burst out laughing "Bwahahahahaha, is that it Straw hat"? Luffy looked up at the shipwright confused. "That's not that bad, that's a good thing it means I'm doing well in turning you into a SUPER pervert" Franky joked loudly.

"But Franky I was caught and Robin's gonna tell Nami and now she's gonna hate me".

That was when it hit the cyborg that maybe Luffy was worried because he didn't just like the navigator, it seemed highly likely that the captain LIKED her, as more than just nakama. Franky thought about that, at first with a grin but then he started to think what about if Robin does hate perverts, then he'd never have a chance with her. Enough about me, he thought, I need to help my captain.

"Luffy I can't help you without just saying there, there" He admitted "unless you answer me a question". He grabbed the other man and held his shoulders with his, admittedly, freakishly big hands.

"What's that Franky"? Luffy asked, confused by this sudden change.

"Do you like Nami"? He asked seriously.

"Of course" Luffy said matter-of-factly "Nami's my Nakama, the same as all of you".

Franky sighed "I meant do you like her as more than just one of your Nakama"? he looked into his captains eyes "Answer me truthfully" He asked.

"I" Luffy started, "I've always thought that no one should have anyone closer than Nakama" he stated.

"Ok I'll rephrase the question" Franky turned around wondering how he could explain it to someone as innocent, and thick, as Luffy. "Luffy, everyone should have Nakama, right"

"Yosh" Luffy answered quickly.

"Well do you not think that you feel different towards Nami, and Robin than to the other crew members"?

"Yes" Luffy admitted confused, "I would be heartbroken if I lost any of you, including Nami and Robin".

Franky sighed about to try again, He lived with bandits as a kid and never learnt about the birds and the bees? he thought, what the hell kinda baka bandits were they?.

"But" Luffy continued, much to the cyborgs hidden amazement, "if I was to lose Nami I would just be broken, I would just want to die myself and I wouldn't even want to carry on after my dream".

"So what you are saying is that she has a special meaning to you"? Franky urged.

"Yes, she does" Luffy admitted "But I can't truly explain why but I would do anything for her and expect nothing back".

"Then you love her" Franky pointed out "that's love" he smiled at his captain. "Forget what I told you before" The big man ordered, "It was me being immature and a pervert, which though I am proud of is of no use to us here" he grinned. "What you need to do is apologise to her and admit what you have done" he said "Then let her bitch and moan at you for a while and when she asks for an explanation, provided she does, you have to tell her".

"What if she doesn't"? Luffy asked, genuinely scared of the possibility "What if she just says that she never wants to see me again and tries to leave"? He actually had tears in his eyes Franky noticed, and being the person Franky is, a slave to his feelings, it made the metal man want to cry too.

"If she doesn't you have to tell her the first moment that the chance arises, if you have to jump in the sea to tell her, you have to do it and let nothing get in your way, don't worry I'll be there with you every step of the way, if you want" The cyborg promised.

"What if she says no"? Luffy whined, yet not in a pathetic way Franky noticed, but in the way of someone despairing.

"If she says no you will have to move on, but at least you'll know" Franky told him. "If you don't, you will never know and every single day of your life will be what if, if only and other thoughts that could get in the way of your dreams and hers too".

"You sound smart on this Franky" Luffy sniffed again, "Do you love someone"? He asked.

"Yeah" The big man blushed "I do, loved and I think lost, I missed the chance that you are at right now and I think the woman hates me now".

"Its Robin right"? Luffy smiled from ear to ear.

"How did you know" Franky asked, gobsmacked by his captains unexpected insight.

"You mean I was right"? Luffy guffawed "That was a complete guess".

"Ok Luffy" Franky growled, annoyed at his captains lucky guess, and his big mouth, "I've helped you here, haven't I"?

"Yes a lot Franky, and now I want to help you get Robin" He stated seeming to have completely ignored his comment about "missing his chance".

"No, Luffy" Franky threatened him with a steel fist, "I'm telling you, you can't tell anyone, not Ussop, not Chopper, not Brook, no one, got it, but especially not Robin".

"Ok, Ok" Luffy promised "but if you never ask you'll never know" he smiled.

"Baka" Franky grunted, he hated having to eat his own words.

The two men started slowly back towards the ship leaving the clearing empty.

A lone figure rose from a bush right next to where the two had been standing "Intriguing circumstances indeed, Yohohohohohohohoho".


	5. Confessions

A/N: Hey guys, gonna try to actually let out several chapters at once here, to make up for both the long delays and the fact that what I have done for these chapters are so short.

DIsclaimer: I do... NOT own one piece, It belongs to Echiro Oda, except the copies of the manga in my bookshelf, those are mine, I bought them, with MY money, so nya.

**Iron Petals** – part five

Nami was waiting in her room, when she heard Frankie's voice outside on the deck.

"Good night straw hat, remember what I told ya" he shouted.

"Same to you Franky I owe you one" Luffy's boyish voice replied.

_So_, she thought,_ he's been getting lessons from that pervert, it's no wonder he's started acting like this._ The teenager couldn't help but be slightly annoyed at him this time.

The rest of the crew were all asleep, Robin was on watch in the crow's nest, probably reading. The only other crew member Nami knew was missing was Brook, who had left after a while to try to find Franky and Luffy, apparently he was still out looking, and they had come back first.

A knock came at her door and she hoped she knew who it was.

"Come in" she invited.

It was Luffy as she had suspected, he had a serious look on his face and she had absolutely no idea of what he intended to do. She didn't think Luffy would force himself on her, but she didn't think he'd start taking lessons from king budgie smugglers either. She silently berated herself for that last thought, Franky obviously had a side of him she hadn't seen so she shouldn't judge. _At least not until I know what's going on _she thought.

"Hi Luffy" she decided to play dumb as to his peeping earlier and was wondering what his reaction might be "what's up"?

Luffy just looked at her, blushing to the point where he seemed to be lighting up the cabin. _There's no easy way out of this_ he thought.

"Nami" he began "I came in to apologise to you".

"For what Luffy"? She looked at him feigning confusion.

"Earlier in the forest, I" he paused, _well here I go, _"I followed you for a long time after we had eaten, I kind of wanted to talk to you about something, but I didn't know how to start".

"So did you want to talk about it now"? Nami asked, again feigning ignorance, "Why do you need to apologise for that, it's not that late".

"I'm not done" Luffy answered, looking ashamed "I followed you but I stayed a long way back so you didn't notice me, so then all of a sudden you came to this clearing" He stopped again and took off his hat. _Why's my heart beating so fast?_ He wondered.

"Which clearing was that"? Nami was having a little trouble keeping her voice even, she would usually be able to play someone like this easily, but for some reason this time felt different, as though she couldn't possibly treat her captain so, but she kept her cool so as to see where this was going.

_Robin didn't tell her did she? _The rubber-man thought_, she's hearing it from me first, this is worse than just having her beat me up, I have to tell her why she's going to beat me up first._

"The one where you went for a bath in a river" He closed his eyes ready to be punched at any moment. "Anyone else in the crew would have turned away at that point but I didn't" Luffy blurted.

_That's hardly true_ Nami thought but kept silent, allowing her captain to finish.

"I watched you from some bushes for a long, long time and just watched you like some dirty pervert".

"That was perverted" she said with a calmness that scared Luffy even more than he already was, "You shouldn't have done it" she turned away from Luffy so he couldn't see her face, she had tears in her eyes, but whether it was from anger or the sudden strange feeling of happiness, almost excitement, she didn't know herself.

"But Robin caught me, watching you" He continued, "it's obvious now that she hasn't told you but I don't care, I needed to tell you this myself so that I could ask you to forgive me".

Nami looked out of the window her face serious once more, but the tears were still there in the corners of her eyes. "So you want me to forgive you, is that **it**"? She put particular emphasis on the last word, though she subconsciously knew it would go over her captain's head. Nami glared at the rubber-man with daggers in her eyes, not faked in the slightest, she was genuinely hurt as she thought he was expecting her to beat him up and forget about the whole thing. _What does he want me to say,_ she thought, _Oh its ok Luffy don't worry about it, does he think he can pay me off like some hussy? No I won't be treated like that I'll leave first._

She grunted at her captain a harsh "no" she said, "I won't just forgive you, I want more than just an apology, a lot more" the last was almost a whisper, but she knew he heard.

Luffy went to speak tears in his own eyes now.

"Shut up" she growled before he could start, "I don't want money before you try to offer it to me" the tears were now streaming down her face, "I won't be bribed or threatened into silence if that's what you're here for, if that's the case then get out".

"Nami I'm not here for that" Luffy said to her trying to meet her gaze and failing, he looked back to the floor.

"Why are you here then, pirate" she mocked crying at her naivety, _I thought he might love me, but he's treating me like dirt._ "Did you come to _ask_ me to show you this time, or to force me into something worse"?

"Nami I would never" Luffy started.

"I never would have thought you'd go peeping either" _not of your own accord anyway she thought, remembering Arabasta_. "So don't give me that" the girl spat. "I heard you talking to Franky as well, the head pervert, since when did you two spend so long together, just the two of you"?

Luffy himself grew angry then, _after what Franky has helped me with just to get this far I have to defend him "Tell her the truth" He had said and that's what he would do._ "If it wasn't for Franky talking to me I would still be in the forest right now running as far away from here as possible, so that you wouldn't hate me" he shouted, a bit too loudly for the navigators liking.

"What" Nami stammered "he told you to come here"?

"Yes" Luffy stated "I was too afraid to come to you and admit any of this myself, I was frightened worse than I have ever been at the thought of you leaving the crew" He admitted.

"Leaving the…..crew"? Nami repeated dumbfounded, "You were afraid".

"And I was even more worried about you leaving my life" Luffy blurted out. _It's now or never._

"Your"? Nami could hardly speak at her captains words, her eyes were wide open. _Does he love me after all?_

"The reason I followed you was because I didn't want to see you get hurt out on your own" Luffy was speaking slowly thinking about every word before he said it, for the first time in his life. "Then when I saw you starting to change into your Bikini, I just couldn't look away, I was worried about being caught by you, but I was even more worried about something happening to you, so I stayed until I knew you were safe" He remembered how much of an idiot he felt now and Frankie's words rang clear in his head. _I've got to tell the truth and if I never ask I'll never know_. "Robin caught me and she seemed content on staying where we were and I stupidly offered to go with her to the others, yet thankfully she said no or I would have refused to leave you there on your own".

"Why do you feel I need protecting so badly"? Nami asked.

"Because I" Luffy began, "Because I" _why is it so hard to say? _"I need you Nami" he finally said "I need you, I want you and…."he stammered.

"And"? Nami tears flowing now looked to him with a new found passion.

"And I, l…." he stammered again shaking like a new-born baby "I L…mmmmph"

Nami had run up to him and kissed him on the lips stealing the air from his lungs. "I know" she said "and I love you too".

Luffy broke down then, "Nami I'm so sorry and I do love you, so, so much".


	6. Operation Cover Up

**Iron Petals **– part six

Franky grinned across his whole face, in a way similar to Luffy's usual manner, with tears in his eyes, he was a slave to his feelings and a very overly emotional person after all.

He had been listening to their entire conversation from just outside of the door to the women's quarters, ready to step in and aid his captain, as he had promised, but only if the moment called for it.

As it happened he didn't need to intervene, and as soon as he heard the two of them were hugging and happy, and they may even be an item come tomorrow he thought, still grinning like a fool. He turned to leave the quarters and head out to the deck, maybe keep his eyes open for Brook, who for some reason was still on the island. Not that the cyborg was worried, what in their right mind would attack a walking skeleton?

It was when he came out onto the deck that his smile faded, thinking about Nami's words concerning him. "I heard you talking to Franky as well" It was the way she had spat the statement out that hurt him more than what she had said after calling him "The head pervert", any other time he would have been proud to have been called such but with his mind in its current state, thinking about Robin and how she feels about him as well. It just led to him praying that she didn't feel the same way about him as Nami obviously did. _Hopefully she'll feel differently now she knows I helped Luffy _he thought, _if she doesn't then I will just have to change and be a bit more civil around them. _A strange thought for a self-confessed pervert, he had to admit_, besides for all I know Robin could have a completely different view towards me_ the cyborg consoled himself.

_Though I have to admit, I like the sound of being called king budgie smugglers._

Not surprising that he then nearly had a heart attack when he saw that Sanji was walking towards the women's quarters, with a drink on a tray, obviously meant for Nami. Franky jumped up, knowing the violence that would follow if Sanji found Luffy in Nami's room with her and no one else. The cyborg ran towards the blond chef at full speed, almost stepping on one of Ussops inventions that hadn't put away in his haste, "Oi Curly" he shouted at the chef.

"Huh"? The chef grunted, not taking much notice of the shipwright, as he had Nami on his mind.

"That juice looks tasty" he said shooting his arm at it and taking the glass before the chef could react, and then downing it in one. "I was right" he fake laughed "Of course, because I'm SUPER".

"Bastard" The chef shouted at the older man, "I made that for Nami swaaaaan" He jumped to kick the robot away but he took the hit

"Damn it straw hat you owe me big" He muttered.

The cook actually composed himself after a while and turned back to the kitchen to make another drink, yet when he reached the kitchen, with Franky right behind him, he found that the juice had been drank, or rather been poured down the non-existent throat, of the skeletal musician Brook.

"WHAAAT"! Sanji exclaimed "Now I'm pissed off, why are you two both getting in my way"?

"Eh"? Brook looked at the blonde man who was staring at him in rage, "Sorry Sanji-san I needed a drink".

"Bwahahahaha" Franky laughed, greatly relieved at the skeletons timely intervention. "Good work Brook" he joked.

The skeleton stared at the cyborg then with a knowing look, _or at least I think it's a knowing look as he has no face to look at me with _Franky thought_._

"_Skull Joke" Brook thought._

After that Sanji merely started to kick the two older men angrily out of his kitchen.

"Stay out BAKA" The chef bellowed at them.

"You can be so mean Sanji san" Brook commented with a laugh "Yohohohoho".

Franky went and sat on the grass near the mikan tree's, still chuckling about how lucky Brooks thirst had been.

"Are you feeling better now"? The skeleton asked his companion.

"You just made me laugh more than I have in a while" Franky admitted to his only elder on board.

"I aim to entertain yohohohoho" Brook laughed loudly "Yet" he continued "I always thought a good conversation with a friend can help both to solve a problem".

The blue haired man raised an eyebrow at the other "What's that supposed to mean"? He asked curious.

"Nothing" He replied sipping his somehow materialised tea "How's the captain doing now"?

"He was fine when I last saw him" Franky admitted growing suspicious of the skeleton. "Why"?

"Ah last I heard he was rampaging through the forest screaming" he confided, "this was before I was sent to fetch you by Robin" the skeleton turned to watch his companions reaction.

As he suspected, at the mention of Robins name the cyborg looked to the floor, "She sent you"? He asked.

"Indeed" he answered. "She seemed quite worried".

"I doubt she is worried" Franky mumbled "She probably was only looking for Luffy" thinking about what she had caught the captain doing he would not be surprised.

"No" The skeleton corrected "she wanted both of you back safe, I think".

"I doubt she even cares about if something happened to me" he started thinking about his conversation with Luffy in the forest.

"Ask her" The skeleton encouraged, "I'm sure she would tell you she wanted to see you too".

"I doubt it" Franky started, yet jumped when he realised how close the man had come up to his ear.

"If you don't ask you'll never know" He echoed looking into the shipwright's eyes".

"You know don't you"? Franky slumped over at his secret being out "how"? He asked.

"I came to fetch the two of you when I saw you in the forest" Brook admitted with a skeletal shrug, "I decided not to interrupt and listened to the conversation".

"Eavesdropping" Franky growled.

"Yes" The skeleton laughed "but I will take the secret to my grave" he promised "well my final one anyway, SKULL JOKE".

Franky smiled at the painful joke.

"You know" Brook looked again at the metal man "you are quite good at giving advice" he sipped his tea.

"Thanks" Franky started, but stopped "you hear something"? He asked.

"What's that"? The skeleton listened.

"There" Franky stated, he could just make out a slight moan coming from the women's quarters, "Oh crap".

Brook turned red to his bones at the realisation of what he was hearing. "I believe we had better start, as Ussop-san would say operation cover up" he stated, "you guard the door, and I'll play something loud, yohohohoho".

That is how the two oldest members of the straw hat pirates ended up standing by the doors into the ship, one nailing the door shut to the quarters, and the other playing his violin and singing loudly, despite the hour. Robin laughed at the sight from atop the crow's nest while Zoro trained behind her.

"What's he so happy about"? Zoro asked, acknowledging her presence for the first time this evening.

"He's the musician" She answered knowingly "He's playing music".

"Yeah but I'm pretty sure those aren't the usual words" he pointed out.

The two listened closely to the skeletons ramblings.

"YO O O OOOO OOOOH" He started, trying to match the noise he was drowning out, or at least was attempting to. "O O O OOOO OOOOH".

"SSSUUUUUUUPEEEER" Franky complimented him on his ingenuity, not realising Brook was going change more.

"Making a delivery, inside of the sweet nam….."

"BROOK"! Franky bellowed over him.

"Ah sorry Franky san" The skeleton apologised "I guess it was a spur of the moment YOHOHOHOHOHO"! and continued the actual song.

Robin blushed, catching on to the skeletons turn of mind "Baka" she mumbled.

"What are they doing"? Zoro demanded.

"I have no idea" Robin lied, turning from the window to go to the library, leaving the two men to continue their cover up.

"Said our captain in his hat as he grabbed her in a hold"

"BROOK"!


	7. Awkward conversations

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, it belongs to Echiro Oda.

**Iron Petals **– part seven

The next morning the straw hat pirates set sail once more, in good spirits all. This was particularly true of the captain and navigator, the latter being in an extremely good mood, even allowing the captain and chopper to have one of her mikans each, to the surprise of all on board, even Luffy.

"Nami-swaaaaan" Sanji cried, "I would have stopped the shitty captain if you had asked".

"I know" The redhead replied, "but I don't mind today, but **only** today". Luffy just smiled at her, ignoring the threat, Chopper hidden behind the captain, the wrong way round as usual.

The two had decided not to make it crew wide knowledge that they were together, trusting the knowing parties to keep it secret, that is Nami had asked Robin not to tell, she didn't know about Brook and it would seem she was trusting Franky not to tell anyone.

Or maybe not.

The Cyborg was working in the docking station of the sunny, fixing the mini-merry after Luffy's latest fiasco, involving a wall and three sea kings. He had almost finished his work when a commanding, though not unkind voice called him.

"Franky"? Nami shouted.

"Eh"? He looked over "what's up girly, you're looking SUPER today" he commented, noting her smile.

"Thank you" she blushed a little at the playful wink he gave her, "I came to ask you a favour".

"Oh"? he lifted his sunglasses up "what's that then"? Franky looked at her, wiggling his eyebrows playfully.

"You know about, me and" she gestured upstairs towards the direction of the figurehead.

"What"? Franky feigned shock, "You and Sunny, even my ship betrays me" he mocked the girl.

"You know what I mean' baka" she growled, resisting the urge to hurt him, "me and Luffy".

"Yeah, that's SUPER too by the way" he laughed, posing, "always nice to help nakama".

"Well I was wondering if you would keep it a secret from the others" she looked up at him with a small smile.

"No" the big man teased "I'm going to tell everyone, from chopper to Garp".

Nami's smile turned evil at that point, "well then, I'll have to fine you one hundred million beri", her eyes turned into the beri signs at the thought.

"Ow"! Franky laughed, "That's harsh girly, okay I won't tell anyone now leave my wallet alone".

"And Franky" Nami continued.

"Eh"?

"Thank you" she said, hugging the big man's waist.

"What's that for" he asked, lifting his sunglasses up again, unsure of how to react to her uncharacteristic display.

The redhead looked up at him "For helping Luffy "she answered "and me too".

"No problem girly, just lay off the spite when name calling eh"? He laughed at her confused look. "It's not all bad being the head pervert".

Nami went as red as her hair at that statement, "you heard that" she asked.

"I promised Luffy I would step in if I was needed" he grinned "I was outside the door for most of the time".

Nami went even redder, almost purple Franky noted, getting ready to call the Tanuki doctor. "You were, um when did you leave"? she asked.

"After you had made up, I went to look out for Brook" Franky told her.

"Oh thank God" Nami said, without thinking.

"No thank me for making Brook play his violin so loud", he looked at her with a big smile on his face, "your secrets safe with me" he laughed "as long as you don't blow your own cover".

Nami looked like all her blood was around her face.

"You can call me God-king budgie smugglers if you want though, I have been SUPER this week" he yelled.

"That's slightly big headed Franky san" a new voice interrupted.

"Robin" Nami greeted her, suddenly hiding her embarrassment, she winked at the archaeologist, Franky didn't notice.

"Ow" Franky took up his signature pose, "what's going on all of a sudden I'm surrounded by SUPER ladies"? He laughed.

Robin looked at the two in front of her, having been eavesdropping on their conversation she knew it had been extremely embarrassing for the navigator, and confirmed her own suspicions for the reason of her disappearance last night, and most of this morning.

"I was just curious as to where you had gone again miss navigator" she smiled at the other woman, choosing to ignore the compliment, though she secretly jumped for joy at it being in reference to her, even if it was said in an attempt to stop himself looking anywhere he shouldn't.

Franky turned back to the mini-merry, expecting the two women to ignore him and leave now they had each other to talk to, he and Nami had finished their conversation after all, and Robin had seemed to have completely ignored his presence.

He tried to focus on his work, but he just couldn't, he kept glancing over at the two visitors to the docking station, mainly Robin, who were happily talking with each other sitting near him, though he couldn't hear what they were saying.

"So does he know too"? Robin asked, she already knew the answer, but Nami didn't know that she knew.

"Yes, if it hadn't been for him, Luffy wouldn't even have come back to the sunny" Nami confirmed.

"Really"? Robin was as shocked by this bit of news as the navigator had been, she had known Luffy would be scared of seeing Nami if she had told her, but to have actually run away, the captain never did that for any enemy, he had even tried to fight a marine admiral rather than run away and forsake his nakama.

"He was so sweet" Nami sighed, "Luffy I mean, he let me rant and rave at him, me misunderstanding the purpose of his confession, but the moment I badmouthed the robot he jumped straight into his defence, whatever Franky said to him, it's the entire reason he had the courage to come up to me, he admitted that himself".

Both women turned to look at Franky, Nami with a happy smile and Robin a look of wonder, with a calculating stare mixed in.

_What are they looking at?_ Franky wondered _I haven't done anything to get their attention and they were ignoring me up until a moment ago_.

Nami stood up grinning, "You're a strange man Franky" she said "Thanks again", and she left.

Robin stood up also smiling "Very strange" she agreed, and then added "and surprising".

Franky looked right up into her eyes, lifting his sunglasses up with a look of wonder on his face.

"You mean I'm a pervert"?


	8. Flirting without the ero-cook

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, it belongs to Echiro Oda.

**Iron Petals **– part eight

Nico Robin followed Nami to the deck of the thousand sunny, laughing at the cyborg she had just left. The sun was shining brightly and there was no sign of any hostility, no marines had been spotted, no sea kings and no other pirates. Robin hardly realised as she was roaring with laughter, a very rare action for her to perform, and some of the crew watched her in shock at hearing the uncommon noise of her laughing in more than titters and giggles.

Nami, of course, was laughing at her friend's reaction, the cyborg had often made the joke of calling himself a pervert, or changing what you said into somehow calling him a pervert, and it had made them all smirk, at first. Eventually it had become routine, and sometimes tedious, yet never had Robin been affected to this extent, even when the Franky was a new nakama.

Zoro looked down from the observation tower, confused, but quickly returned to training. Luffy was too busy staring at Nami, while Ussop and Chopper looked confused, and slightly worried about her.

Sanji began his wobbling dance where his lower body became a blur, with hearts where eyes should be, "Robin chwan is so cute when she's laughing" he cooed.

_Not as cute as Nami_ Luffy thought.

"Robin San" Brook looked up from his tea, "your laughter is infectious, like music to my ears, ah, but I have no ears to hear, SKULL JOKE yohohohohoho".

The woman composed herself somewhat, at least to the point where she stopped laughing in such a way, yet she could not get rid of the smile on her face as Nami followed her towards their loungers.

"That was unlike you Robin" Nami looked at her friend, seeing the Raven haired woman laugh had made her want to join in, Brook had already done so and was playing Binks sake to a chorus of yo-ho-ing that was more laughter than singing. "Have you only just started to find that joke funny"? She asked.

"It was the context" Robin explained still smiling, her usual smile now, yet her eyes showed the laughter she was trying so hard not to voice. "I walked right into his trap" She admitted, "he made me feel like a little girl, gullible and silly, feelings I haven't been able to feel for a very long time".

Robin didn't notice but Franky had come up on deck himself.

Nami laughed "You gullible"? She asked, "Never, you were just distracted".

"Distracted" Robin raised an eyebrow "how"?

"Well you were probably lost in his eyes" Nami mocked.

"With his sun glasses on"? Robin continued her denial.

"Well then his muscles" Nami continued, "or his hair, or his, well" she gestured towards the shipwright, posing for Luffy, his shirt lifting with the posture giving Robin, who had only just turned around a full view of his hardly covered lower half, he seemed to notice and winked at her, at which point the woman turned around blushing furiously.

"That was an embarrassing view" Robin admitted trying to hide her face under her purple cowboy hat, which had been on the table. "But yes I see what you mean miss navigator" she sighed, "but I assure you that I was not looking there when he made me laugh".

Franky had come up on deck not too long after the girls had left, he had quickly finished repairing the mini-merry. He then tried to think of ways he could improve the shark submerge, but failed, his mind being too focused on the young woman who had caught his attention.

"Damn it" He cursed, smiling despite himself. He was happy that she had acknowledged him, as he had thought she wouldn't, yet to have her laugh in such an out of character way had been like a bell to his soul, though with his exterior it would probably need a gong. He could not believe that a joke that he had made, and the joke he told every day at that, had made the reserved woman laugh out loud.

He gave up on trying to work and headed up onto the deck where he quickly surveyed his surroundings, Luffy was sitting on the head of the Sunny, Ussop and Chopper seemed to be worried about something, or someone. Curly was cooking, just for the girls more than likely, and Zoro was out of sight, probably training in the observation room. It was an extremely sunny day, Franky noted, and there was nothing to put a damper on it nearby, however in his and a few others eyes a marine ship or two could be a relief from boredom, but too many would be a chore, so they were enjoying the peace while it lasted.

He noticed Nami and Robin on the sun loungers, talking about something, Robin seeming to have calmed down from laughing. Though he noticed she was still smiling slightly more than usual, which made him smile without thinking.

"Oi Franky" Luffy shouted at him a large smile on his face "you just missed the funniest thing ever, Robin came up onto the deck and she was laughing, except not the way she usually does, she seemed like she was gonna die from it" He laughed himself at the thought.

"I know" Franky smiled at his young captain, "I made her laugh".

"Really"? Luffy looked at him smirking, and winked at the older man, "What did you do"? He even managed to give the cyborg a suggestive look that no one, except Nami, thought he even knew how to make.

"I just asked her if she was calling me a pervert" Franky grinned "I didn't think it would have that kind of an effect on her, not in my wildest dreams".

"Oh so you dream about her now"? Luffy gave his trademark smile "Shishishishi".

"Baka" Franky growled, though he grinned despite himself "It's not like I wouldn't" he admitted, "She's SUPER just like me" He joked. The cyborg then got into his signature pose, making the two separate stars on his arms combine "As am I, SUPER me".

It was at that moment he decided to look over the captains shoulder to look at the two women, mainly Robin, but Nami too just in a different way. Although when he looked over he saw that Robin was looking at HIM, though not just at him, at his speedos. Then she saw that he was looking at her too, and had noticed where she had been looking, but rather than be embarrassed Franky winked at her, he was going to mouth the word "pervert" to her but she whipped her head around at the last second, blushing more than he thought she could. _Pity _he thought _that a woman as super as Nico Robin was unaccustomed to being flirted with, by someone other than curly brows the love cook anyway_.

He looked back to Luffy who was standing patiently, another surprise for Franky, as again he didn't know his captain knew how.

"Sorry what"? The cyborg asked.

"You were looking at Robin right"? It was a statement more than a question.

"What if I was"? Franky was man enough to blush.

"You going to ask her yet"? Luffy smiled, looking to check if anyone could hear, no one could.

"Soon I think" Franky smiled back, "I'm just trying to find the right words".

"What" Luffy looked shocked "You mean besides _hentai_ and SUPER"? The straw hat even took up Frankie's pose, obviously mocking him.

"Yeah" Franky looked amused at his captain's attempt "I may just start shouting SANJI MEAT"! He bellowed the last bit.

"In a minute shitty rubber" The chef shouted, "Wait, Franky"? He looked at the two of them confused, and slightly worried, if only for his own sanity, he couldn't survive another Luffy.

Ussop had been watching the two, concerned over their secrecy, as well as the secrecy of the two women. He suspected a conspiracy and wondered who it was against, when Franky had imitated Luffy shouting for food he had nearly jumped off the ship, yet reasoned the conspiracy must be against the cook, and not him. He had not noticed the glance between the cyborg and "the demon of Ohara".

Zoro on the other hand had been watching from the hatch of the observation tower, taking a breather from his rigorous training, and he had noticed the exchange. He wondered if the two were together or if the cyborg had just embarrassed her earlier in the day, but whatever it was he hoped that the crappy cook didn't find out, for the cyborgs health.

Sanji however had been oblivious as when the glances were given he was in the kitchen and when he came out his attention was given almost entirely to Nami as Robins face was covered by her hair, almost as though she was asleep, so he didn't disturb her and set her snack between the two women, then continued to fawn over the navigator, which led to a rather nasty glare from the captain, which he didn't notice.

Chopper did though. Then he noticed the battleship.

"BATTLESHIP"!?


	9. T-bone - fight

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, it belongs to Echiro Oda.

**Iron Petals **– part nine

Chopper ran to the railing of the ship, "Battleship"! He cried, "Marines"!

The entire crew sprang into action, Zoro unsheathed his swords, while Ussop fumbled in his bag for the kabuto, and Nami assembled her clima-tact. The others simply started stretching or leering at the approaching vessel, Chopper turning into his heavy point.

"Pirates"! a voice shouted from the ship "lay down your arms and surrender, you are under arrest".

"Like hell" Luffy and Zoro both shouted back. Sanji also shouted but added "bastard" to the sentence.

The man who had been shouting at them was a captain, he seemed familiar but not important, it wasn't Smoker at least, and he was probably just a random marine who they had beaten before, Franky surmised. In truth he had been one of the captains on the sea train, captain T-bone, whom Zoro had defeated and promptly forgotten, so none of the others knew him, Franky vaguely recognised him but only barely, Robin hadn't been in the state of mind to notice him when she was on the sea train and Ussop had been too scared to think coherently. So the man might as well be meeting them for the first time.

"I wish for as little bloodshed as possible" the skeletal looking man shouted at them "so come quietly".

The crew just continued staring at him.

"Very well" He sighed "board them".

The marines followed their captain's orders and jumped aboard the ship, with T-bone at their vanguard. The straw hats took them head on.

Swords clashed as Zoro and Brook intercepted the marine's blades with their own, the playful, lazy side of the pirates left behind as soon as the marines had been spotted, though these were not a powerful group of enemies compared to some the pirates would never give them the opportunity to kill through recklessness on their part. Sanji and Luffy taken out groups of marines on their own and chopper was quickly beating them down with the large fists of his heavy point. The two women were also taking out several marines at once, Nami's thunderbolt tempo was incapacitating marines approaching them and any that got too close were having their necks snapped by the blooming hands from Robins Hana-Hana no mi powers.

Franky himself was making short work of the marines around him. Their weapons were just bouncing off his steel torso, and he was sure not to allow any behind him to take advantage of his weak spot. He just had to punch a man and they were down, possibly dead, similar to Chopper, but Franky had more precision as he had years more fighting experience than the little, well usually little Tanuki doctor.

Franky had been focusing on two of the marines who were attacking him head on with swords.

"Come on" he chided "haven't you figured out that doesn't work"?

The two continued their charge into him and he quickly knocked them out one at a time, then he heard a loud _crack_ behind him. Spinning around he saw a marine drop on the ground, his rifle falling down just as quickly, he turned to Robin who had her full attention on him, and she smiled at him.

"Thanks" he shouted, and then his eyes widened as the marine captain landed behind her, throwing Nami into the wall in the process. T-bone had unsheathed his sword and was raising it to fall upon Robin.

In a desperate attempt, knowing he would never reach her in time Franky though _why can't I bring her to me?_ With that in mind he pointed his arm at her and called out his attack.

Robin had been focusing on fighting alongside Nami, the two having little trouble with the basic marine sailors, who were not very well suited to fighting such a powerful crew. Yet she couldn't help but feel worry, not for any of her own crews deaths, but for Franky getting hurt. She knew he was the strongest outside the monster trio and he knew how to fight, but he could get carried away as easily as the rest of the men on board. That and the fact Franky was currently fighting right in the middle of the ship with no way of protecting his vulnerable back. She was constantly looking for him, ensuring that he had not been surrounded, and at one point she saw a marine behind the blue haired man, who was focused on two marines in front of him. He had a rifle aimed right at the shipwrights back, and the men's height difference meant the bullet would likely puncture a lung.

"Seis Fleur" she shouted, her arms appearing on the man's neck, "clutch" she finished the attack, breaking his neck and watched him fall to the floor. Franky span around to see the man fall and then looked at her, after piecing together what had happened he thanked her and she smiled back at him, glad to have saved him from injury. She then smiled again when the man with the pompadour started to pull a strange face that she didn't understand, was it a joke? No he wouldn't do that at a time like this _yes he would _her subconscious corrected. But no it seemed like… fear? But he was safe, most of the marines were focused on the others, then she heard a loud thud and turned to see Nami had been thrown into the wall by someone, but before she could turn around she saw that Franky had lifted his arm up, _he's aiming at me _she realised _why_? The cyborg called out his attack.

"Strong Right" he roared, and the hand flew towards her, Robin thought he was going to kill her, his steel fists being more than capable of killing someone of her slight build. Then she realised, his fist could kill, but his hand was currently open and was closing around her, not to hit her.

She then felt the sharp tug as the cyborg had recalled his arm, having grabbed his target, she was brought flying into the robots steel chest, though he ensured she would not take any of the impact and was not hurt. She was turned in mid-air on the way and that was when she was able to see the marine captain, whose sword was currently falling upon where she would have been, the cyborg had saved her life indefinitely.

However the attack was not just a sword slash, captain T-bone knew air attacks and had sent one in their direction, he seemed determined to kill at least one of their nakama, and it looked like it would be her, but at least he would not kill Franky, his cyborg shell would protect him. At least that's what she hoped. Suddenly she felt the man's body quickly turn, though she didn't know why until he had his back to the marine captain. _His back_ her eyes opened in terror and she looked into his eyes, without his sunglasses on he looked down on her smiling.

She felt the jolt as the sword technique cut through her saviours back and it made a visible dent on his torso, meaning it had gone all the way through his actual body to reach the protective shell, protecting _HER__._ Time froze as the two looked in each other's eyes, Robin had tears streaming down her face.

"Franky" she whispered to him.

The man just carried on smiling and whispered back "don't cry, tears don't befit the most SUPER girl I have ever met" Even under these circumstances, with blood gushing from the wound in his back he put all his effort into that one word, and he had called it her. He opened his mouth again to speak but he couldn't finish his sentence, only letting out "I" and then he dropped on his side, his last effort being not to fall on top of the woman in his arms.

"FRANKY"!


	10. Beat down

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, it belongs to Echiro Oda.**

**Iron Petals **– part ten

"FRANKY"! The entire crew shouted for their shipwright.

Luffy had seen the marine captain land behind Robin and throw Nami, his nakama, HIS NAMI. He had started his activation of his gear second intent on helping Robin and KILLING the man who hurt his navigator. Then he watched the shipwright grab the archaeologist, pulling her out of the swords reach. The captain activated his gear second, noticing too late that it was a flying slash attack, he couldn't save them, but Franky turned his back on the marine, his entire body taking the hit that would have killed Robin.

Time stood still for the Straw Hat pirates, their friend had fallen, and they could only assume that he wasn't getting back up.

Now they were truly angry.

The average marines were taken down in seconds, the straw hats rage sending them flying. For as much as the straw hats often argued they were all friends and they all depended on each other day in and day out, so to see one of their friends hurt made them all more angry then they had ever been.

Captain T-bone was glad he had done his duty although he had meant to kill the woman, as her lack of attention in battle was an insult to the marines. But the other man had detached his hand, Franky that was his name, he had given himself up to save her, but to him, a protector of the people he had killed a pirate, nothing more. He was glad he had done his duty, but now he was scared, all of his men had been defeated and he had seven of the remaining eight straw hats charging him.

The first one to reach him was Zoro. "onigiri dragon twister", the swordsman shouted, a cyclone formed blowing the captain in the air, meeting Sanji's kick "diable Jambe", the man was shot back towards the deck being hit by a hairy ape man's large fists, then simultaneously being hit by Ussop's "sure kill fire star" and Nami's "thunderbolt tempo". This was quickly followed by the skeletons katana leaving a large gash in his stomach.

By this point T-bone was coughing up blood, even he himself was surprised to still be conscious, but the pirates weren't attacking to incapacitate, but to cause as much pain as possible.

The final blow came from the straw hats captain, Luffy was beyond angry, but now he had to get rid of the marines so they could help Franky. With that in mind he ran at the currently airborne marine, "Gear third" he grunted, his arm expanding, "giganto pistol", the huge fist hit its target and sent him flying into the distance. _If there is any justice _he thought_ that man won't survive the landing._

The crew turned to the two still figures in the middle of the ship. Robin had not joined in the vengeful attack on the marine, as she had stayed at Franky's side, trying to wake him up, she had tried to stop the bleeding, but didn't know enough to help, and she had called him an idiot, a complete fool, she wished he hadn't done it. Even with her newfound outlook on life thanks to this odd crew, she never would have wanted one of them to die for her, especially not Franky, but he had given himself up, for her.

Chopper ran to her side and immediately picked the cyborg up in his heavy point carrying him to the sick bay, Luffy helped him carry the immensely heavy metal man, but was kicked out while the doctor did his work. However Ussop was soon called so that he could aid him, the doctor's knowledge of how to get through the heavy steel of the cyborgs implants being insufficient.

Robin remained kneeling on the deck where she had been before the doctor taken Franky away. She was openly crying, the tears streaming down her face to fall on the wooden decking. The woman was angry, angry at the marines for attacking, angry at the marine captain for striking the man she loved, yes she could admit it now, she loved him, she was angry at him too though for sacrificing himself for her, a demon, but mostly she was angry at herself, if she had just paid attention to the fight then he would never have had to make that choice.

_It's my fault _she thought distraught.

_It's because of me._

She fainted.

"Robin"? Sanji was automatically at her side, but was quickly pushed away by Nami and Luffy.

"I didn't think she was hit" Luffy said to Nami "what happened"?

"I think its shock" Nami surmised "She might have fainted from the stress, Luffy help me take her into the girls quarters" she ordered.

"Yosh" Luffy picked the older woman up bridal style and followed the navigator below decks.

"Nami swan let me come with you" Sanji shouted.

Strangely it was Zoro who stopped him "Not now" he said simply, no insult, and no order. Sanji looked at him and nodded.

The remaining three did not know what to do after that. Zoro couldn't sleep, and so waited outside the doctor's room so he could tell them about Robin when they were finished with Franky, good or bad results they needed to know this. Sanji continued cooking, but lacked his usual vigour and he was smoking his cigarettes quicker than he had ever done before.

Brook had volunteered for watch duty, sipping at his tea, watching every ripple of the ocean. He knew that he needed to keep his mind busy or the grief may be too much for him. He had only been a part of this crew for a little less than a month, yet he already saw them all as family, his long awaited for nakama. A short month and it looked as though one of his new friends was dead, and another was in a coma. He just stayed on watch, but not just for ships.


	11. Memories of a Demon

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, it belongs to Echiro Oda.**

**Iron Petals** - Part 11

Robin woke up lying on the ground, which confused her, last she knew she had been kneeling on the deck of the thousand sunny. She sat up quickly, remembering why she had been kneeling.

"Franky"? She whispered, praying for an answer.

None came.

She looked around, panicking she was unable to think straight, she stood up. Tears once again streaming down her face, she called out again.

"Luffy"?

Again there was no answer.

"Nami"? She shouted at the top of her lungs, "Zoro, Sanji, Chopper, ANYONE"? She begged.

She broke down, she was alone again. She cradled her head in her hands, rocking back and forth in grief. "Franky" she sobbed.

A few minutes passed with her like that, or were they hours? Robin couldn't tell. Wiping the tears from her eyes she looked at her surroundings, her eyes widening. She was in Ohara, before the buster call. The village was still standing, and there was the tree of knowledge, filled with books and the information from all over the world.

She looked down at herself, she was still an adult, wearing her purple cowgirl outfit, as she had been on the ship. So how was it possible that she was in Ohara? Was she dead? Had she imagined Franky dying in place of her own death? She hoped so.

She bloomed eyes across her town, there was no one else there, no one. No Zach, no Clover, no Nico Olivia, she was still alone. Or was she?

Something blocked out the sun behind her, the ground shaking as it advanced. She started to turn around, scared of what she may find. Her biggest fear was the buster call, she didn't want to ever see that again. But it wasn't.

"I told you so didn't I"? A new voice boomed.

Robins eyes widened in recognition. "Saul"? She asked.

The giant smiled "You remember"? He started to laugh "derishishishishi".

Robin couldn't help but smile at the sight of her oldest friend. "Of course I remember" she ran to him, joining in his uncanny sounding laughter, as she had done as a child. "Derishishishishishi" they laughed, both with tears in their eyes.

"I wasn't talking about me" the giant grinned again, "I meant do you remember what I told you"?

"To live" she said.

"Yes" Saul agreed "and I said you would find Nakama too right"?

"Yes" Robin started to cry again "yes" she repeated.

"And you did"? He asked knowingly.

"I did" she answered "but now one of them is dead because of me".

Saul grimaced "Are you certain"? He asked.

Robin nodded.

With a single finger the giant lifted up her head "Are you certain"? He repeated the question.

"No" Robin admitted between sobs.

"So why write him off as dead before he is"? The giant asked.

"He took a blow to his organs" the archaeologist told him "he did it to save me".

"I see" the giant looked right into her eyes.

The two looked at each other for a while, again it could have been a moment, or it could have been years Robin didn't care anymore.

"Was he just nakama"? The man asked suddenly.

"Of course he was nakama" Robin told him.

"Yes, but was he JUST nakama"? Saul emphasized his point.

"No" Robin told him "he was more, so much more".

"Well then" the giant stood up "why are you in such a rush to bury him"?

Robin couldn't answer that question.

"Also, do you not think you should have told him before all this if he meant so much to you"? Saul was looking at her sternly, but not unkindly.

"I wish I had" Robin sobbed again, a new wave of tears washing over her, "now I just wish I was dead, so I could be with him, and all of you".

"That hurt" Saul said to her.

Suddenly Robin found that she was no longer in Ohara, but on the judiciary island of Enies Lobby, on the balcony where she had been when the straw hats declared war on the World Government.

Saul was still with her though, "they saved you"? He pointed to the immobile straw hat pirates, frozen in time on the adjacent building, yet strangely Brook was with them, and Franky, in his favourite pose.

Her heart jumped at the sight.

"Some of them" she told the giant "one of them joined the crew after this happened" _How did he get there? _She asked herself.

"So they all put their lives on the line for you"? She nodded.

"As did you" she said.

"That's why you saying you want to die hurt" he told her. She just looked at him "I gave up my life so you could live, as did your mother, as did several members of your island, these people were willing to do the same for you, and you think that one of them has already though you do not know, do you not think it is insulting to them, to us that you would throw away your life when so many have fought for you, died for you, killed for you"?

Robin was startled by the giant's rhetoric. It was a figurative slap to the face for her.

"Besides" he continued "He loves you, so even if he is dead, he would want you to move on, to love again, right"?

"Yes"

"So don't say that again"

"Never" she agreed.

"Good, derishishishishishishi"

The giant suddenly disappeared, his laugh lingering in the air, and was slowly replaced by the sound of someone calling her name.

"ROBIN"?

She turned towards the immobile statues of her crew, yet they were gone too, along with the island. She was floating in darkness, another shout.

"ROBIN"!

She woke up.


	12. Do it with a DON!

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, it belongs to Echiro Oda.**

**Iron Petals** – part 12

Franky felt relief.

That's all he could feel.

Well his back hurt a bit, but the relief that washed over him knowing Robin was safe blocked the majority of that. He looked into her eyes, she was worried, tears were falling down her face, but at least she wasn't hurt. He still didn't like to see her crying though.

"Don't cry" He grinned at her "tears don't befit the most SUPER girl I have ever met", he even managed a weak laugh, his back did hurt a bit actually. He went to say something else then felt himself fainting, he grunted loudly as he used up his power stopping himself falling forward, which would have squashed the woman in his arms.

After that everything was black.

Franky opened his eyes. He wasn't on the sunny anymore, that's for sure. The place reeked of rubbish and saltwater, it was known after all as the city of water. He stood up.

"Water seven"? He looked around, straightaway seeing someone working. He walked up to them, and was gobsmacked as it was Tom. The fish man was working away, building a ship, as he did, or does, or something. Franky's head hurt.

"Ah Franky" he greeted his pupil, "long time no see" he laughed at his joke.

"Tom" Franky jumped on the even-bigger man, knocking him over, "how are you here"? He asked with a smile then thought for a second "Oh yeah I'm dead".

"Ta ha ha ha ha ha ha" The fish man laughed "you haven't changed at all".

Franky looked at him surprised. "What do you mean I haven't changed"? He asked "Just look at my SUPER home made adjustments" He took up his pose.

"That's true" Tom agreed, "but you're still not wearing trousers, and you still seem eccentric ta ha ha".

Franky grinned at him "you mean I'm a pervert"? He asked.

Tom just carried on laughing, Franky joined in.

After a while the larger man looked to his apprentice, "you have surpassed me" he said.

"What"? Franky laughed at him, "I'm not as good as you" he laughed.

"You're ship may not be as good as mine, and I'm not saying it isn't" the old man grinned "but you have done what I was too afraid to do".

"What's that"? The cyborg asked.

"Joined the crew" Tom grinned "set out to sea".

"It taken some persuading" Franky admitted "quite a lot actually".

"How so"? The fish man sat down to listen, Franky did the same, facing his adopted father.

Then he told him about the fight against the CP9, the following party and the intervention of the Franky family. Tom was impressed by Franky's bounty, and laughed outrageously at how his friends had lured him to the ship.

"That would never have happened if you wore trousers" Tom laughed.

"Glad it happened though" Franky grinned, the fish man nodded.

"Then I joined the crew" the cyborg finished.

"Oh" The fish man's eyebrow rose up "are you sure you aren't missing anything"? He asked.

"Yes"? It was more of a question then an answer.

"Liar" Tom laughed again "Bakanky" he seemed to enjoy using icebergs insult.

"You knew"? The cyborg asked.

He nodded.

"Damn".

"She grabbed you by the balls" he grinned, "the cahones the, the" he stopped trying to find another word.

"Nuts"? Franky supplied.

"Tahahahahaha" Tom rolled around on the floor, quite easy when you consider his shape. Then he got up again and looked Franky in the eyes "You like her"? He asked.

"Yeah" Franky admitted.

"You love her"? Franky nodded.

"You tell her"? The fish man pressed.

"No"

"Shame" Tom grinned, pretending to brush something onto Franky.

"I was gonna" The cyborg growled, "Then I died for her".

"Tahahahahahaha" Tom was laughing again, "You're man enough to die for her before you're man enough to say I love you, baka".

"Oi it was awkward" Franky shouted at him, "she never shows any emotion on her face so I didn't know if she felt the same". He remembered her laughing before the fight between the marines, cursing his blindness.

"Ask then" The fish man sat up once more, "It's not too late".

"I'm dead dumbass" Franky looked at him "the dead can't talk",_ well except Brook_ he thought.

"You're not dead yet" Tom grinned, "you're a tough little sod, you may pull through yet" he turned serious "if you do will you tell her"? He asked.

"Of course" Franky was ecstatic that he could be alive, he lifted up his sunglasses to stare at Tom, then turned round as he heard a screech of steel. The puffing Tom had pulled up behind him.

"Well then" Tom said putting a hand on his back "Do it".

He pushed Franky through the open doors of the train. "You know what I'm going to say next, right"? Tom asked his apprentice and successor.

Franky nodded and joined him.

"DO IT WITH A DON"! They both shouted as the sea-train pulled away, Franky leaving Tom behind.

He was suddenly surrounded by a bright light, it engulfed the train, and Franky woke up.

He was in the doctor's room aboard the sunny, on the operating table, on his back. He was covered in bandages, but that didn't stop him getting up. He checked his torso for operating scars, there were none he could find.

Of course Chopper would not have the equipment to get to his organs from the front to operate. _That explains why I was lying on my chest _he thought. His back was still sore, though he knew it was ok now. He looked around the room, the little Tanuki doctor was nowhere in sight. His notes scattered around the room.

There was also a power drill in one corner of the room. That worried the big man quite a bit. "Ussop" he muttered.

It was then he heard someone in the other corner, by the door. Nico Robin was sleeping on the doctor's swivel chair, a book on her lap and a smile on her face. He wondered how long she had been there, how long HE had been there, lying on the surgery bed.

Smiling he picked her up and started out of the room, he was going to take her to the women's quarters, put her in her bed so she would be more comfortable.

On deck he found that it was the middle of the night, darkness had fallen thick over the Thousand Sunny. He looked at the moon, it was full so it had been about two weeks since he had fallen unconscious.

He looked across the deck to see who was on watch and found the captain sitting on the figurehead. He also noticed the navigator was with him, they seemed happy enough, deep in conversation.

He left them alone, taking Robin down to her room.


End file.
